


Sink or Swim

by PhoenixFalling



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Zarlie - Freeform, a mission on the titanic, a shortish zarlie fic?, flirty charlie? Maybe, i'm having a crisis over that sizzle reel just, it's gonna focus primarily on z and charlie, rare soft zari, so close yet so far, zarlie endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-12-18 05:52:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18243671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFalling/pseuds/PhoenixFalling
Summary: To Zari's utter 'disappointment', Sara sends her and Charlie to the Titanic too retrieve an amulet that may help Constantine.It's just her and Charlie in the middle of a giant ocean on a doomed boat. How bad can things go?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This'll be a shorter one, chapters probably won't exceed 3k words. Honestly no idea, I just know it won't be too long, just a fun one for my favorite girls.  
> Thinking maybe 4? 3? Chapters. IDK, i don't plan this shit out if it isn't obvious

“So you understand the mission?” Sara asked for the third time. Her arms were crossed across her chest as she stared up at two women. “It is imperative this goes as smoothly as possible.”

“I think you are grossly overestimating us but yeah, understood,” Zari grumbled, her eyes glued to one of the Waverider’s mainframe computers. She was reading up on 1912 and the people so she knew somehow how to act. Just because she didn’t want to go on this specific assignment didn’t mean she wanted to fail, Zari really wanted to impress to Sara by doing this right. 

“I’m being serious, Z. This is a fragile mission,” Captain Lance reminded her for the fifth time since she had announced that Zari and Charlie would be taking up a solo mission to retrieve a powerful artifact. “You’ll only have one shot to do this right.”

“Than why exactly are you sending Charlie and me? Wouldn’t this mission be much better suited for you and Ava to do this?” She pointed out, doing her best to ignore the panic rising in the back of her head. Zari’s hand drifted to her totem that hung in its usual spot around her neck as she anxiously fiddled with it. 

“Because, Zari, I may not always be there to lead every single mission. Somedays I want to spend some relaxing time with my girlfriend without the impending threat of some bizarre magical creature. You two can handle this,” Sara sighed heavily, clearly tired of trying to reassure Z that she made the right choice. 

“Besides, with Charlie keeping you company it should be a fun get away from this craziness,” Sara added with the slightest of smiles.

“You seem to forget I do not like boats,” Zari grumbled under her breath,”Especially when this one is destined to sink.”

“You’ll have the jumpship , all you’ve just have to-” Sara started to speak before being cut off. 

“Switch the amulets before the ship sinks,” Charlie stood in the doorway of the kitchen, bottle in hand. “Don’t you worry Cap, easy enough.”

“If you run into any issues, just call. We’ll be there,” Ray piped up, his eyes not straying from the letter in his hands. “You’ve got this, Z.  
Should be nothing.”

“It could be worse, you could be stuck in an endless time loop,” Gideon added, her snide comment made Zari loudly groan. It was really four against one, wasn’t it? 

“Some days I regret staying on this ship, you guys are such a pain in the ass. That includes you, Gideon,” Zari shook her head, refusing to sink back into the eternal hell that was Gideon’s temporal prison. That was one lesson she was surely never going to forget. She pulled at the itchy fabric that fit her frame a little too tight in certain places. The dark red dress was bunched up around her waist due to her weird cross legged position.

Charlie perked up, suddenly interested in what Gideon had said,”Endless time loop?”

“Nope. Not going to go there, no. Are you ready to go?” Zari immediately changed the subject. She didn’t feel like Charlie really needed to now about the whole hedgehog day scenario, it was over and done with. There was so many, oh so many, things Charlie did not know about, nor did she need too. 

She was really, really not looking forwards to this mission. Sara thought it was a fucking brilliant idea to send just her and Charlie on a giant ass boat for a simple necklace. Surely there was other ways to get the amulet, Zari pondered desperately. Couldn’t they swap it before the owners boarded the ship? No, because that would make too much sense and the Legends didn’t do common sense. 

Zari suggested for her to partner up with literally anyone, except Constantine, for this particular errand. Sara insisted that it was (for some stupid ass reason) important for Charlie to accompany on her. 

“I’ve got the bags packed in the jumpship. Time period clothes and snacks of course,” Charlie said with a slight smile. She was already dressed in a cream dress that went all the way down the floor with an intricate silky flower pattern around the hem. Zari wasn’t particularly fond of the simple flat black hat she wore with frustrating confidence totally didn’t send unleash a fleet of butterflies in her stomach that made her want to throw up. 

“Oh! Your tickets, just in case someone checks,” Sara added, handing little slips of paper to Zari and Charlie. “Can’t have you two thrown off before you get the amulet.” There was something in her voice, maybe amusement? Whatever was in that underlying tone sent chills down her spine. 

Zari’s heart shot so quickly up her throat she choked on air as she read the ticket. It wasn’t the Titanic name that strikes fear in her heart, it was the room type.

On the gold ticket, with fancy embolden italicized letters indicated that the holder was of high class, was that it was a couples suit. At first she felt just pure confusion, she previously assumed that in the very most they’d be bunking in the bottom of the boat with the rest of the ragged misfits. Confusion turned to horror, although she didn’t know why she was actually fearful until Z realized that meant sharing a bed with Charlie. Maybe she would sleep on the floor, if at all. 

Horror switched to rage in a flash at Sara. The smug look on the Captain’s face that she tried very poorly to hide told Zari that this was completely intentional. Why, though? What did she do to Sara to be punished to this extent? It’s not like she called her girlfriend a fucking robot, or tried to alter time, or was in a sickeningly cute courtship with a former demon vessel. If anything, she was the most rational Legend, well, maybe Ray but he tended to think with his heart rather than head. 

She didn’t have much time to fully process this as Charlie grabbed her wrist and started dragging her to the jumpship. Zari had a feeling she missed a chunk of conversation as she focused on that damn ticket, but it was too late to question Sara; who waved with an almighty and all knowing prideful gleam. 

“Sara!” Zari shouted over her shoulder, just managing to snag a quick glare at Captain Lance before they disappeared around the corner. She was watching them go, a suspicious lack of expression on her face; almost as if she was trying her damndest not to how any emotion.

“This isn’t over,” she finished under her breath, realizing with a start that Charlie was looking at her out of the corner of her eye. 

“Okay, I can walk by myself,” Z grumbled, shrugging away Charlie’s grip. 

“Oi, why are you so nervous? You’ve forgotten that I’ve lived centuries, I know how to blend in,” Charlie bumped into Zari’s shoulder with a partial smile that was meant to be reassuring.

“I don’t know Charlie, I’ve never intentionally gone on a mission where everyone fucking dies. I can’t do anything to save them, I’ve tried. My loophole program failed to turn up anything useful, I failed. We’re basically going to be interacting with hundreds of people that are destined to die in a few days,” she snapped as if it was common knowledge. 

“Sorry,” Charlie huffed, hurt sparking in her dark coal eyes. Zari’s heart lurched, she didn’t mean to harm Charlie’s feelings, she was just stressed about this whole Titanic mess.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap,” Zari stood in front of her, acting as a barrier between Charlie and the jumpship. “It’s not personal, I just have a bad feeling. You know?”

Charlie brushed by Zari, lingering as her hand brushed against her own,”I get it, you just don’t want to do a solo with me.” It was clear that she was teasing, but Zari couldn’t ignore the tug at her heart. 

“What? No, that’s got nothing to do with it!” Zari said, following Charlie into the ship. The door closed silently behind her as she made her way to the driver’s seat.

“Mhmm,” Charlie mumbled, leaning against the seat. 

As Zari set in the coordinates for the Titanic, she sucked in a breath of hair as Charlie’s fingers accidentally touched her bare shoulder. Zari hoped that she wouldn’t notice her reaction, it didn’t appear so. Charlie didn’t make any effort to move, so she assumed not. 

“Could you blame me though? You did turn me into a cat,” Zari said casually, bracing herself as the jumpship effortlessly slid into the timestream. 

“You aren’t ever going to let that go, are you?” Charlie sighed, shaking her head,”Someday I’ll make it up to you.”

“I’m not holding my breath to that,” Zari teased, feeling Charlie’s fingers stiffen against her skin. “Kidding, Charlie, okay? I’m over it.” She wasn’t. 

“No, I will make it up to you. I feel bad for what happened,” Charlie replied earnestly. Her hand moved slightly, tending tingles down Zari’s spine. 

“You mean you feel bad that I got turned into a cat and that my friends were constantly  
dying because of your desire to get your shapeshifting back,” she summarized, focusing on piloting the jumpship.

“Oi! It was partially John’s idea!” Charlie tried to defend herself, apparently not catching wind of her sarcasm. 

“Charlie, calm down. We’re fine,” Zari said, unable to fight the smile any longer. How  
exactly would ‘fine’ be defined, she didn’t really know. Did ‘fine’ mean her heart skipped every time she was centimeter? Was it ‘fine’ that she found herself hesitating outside Charlie’s room because she wanted to check in and see how she was doing? It was certainly ‘fine’ that in the height of a fiery fight that Z had the urge to shut her up by pressing Charlie against a wall and finish the argument with a kiss. 

So no, Zari certainly was not ‘fine’. But she had to be, she did even dare to think about actually acting on her urges, especially since she didn't know how Charlie felt. And besides, Charlie's place on the team was temporary, she would get her powers back eventually and Zari would never see her again.


	2. an accident on deck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Z scout out the ship, trying to spot their target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe i will learn to plan things out, but NOT THIS TIME   
> it's sloppy, I know, I'm determined to finish this by the Legends 4b premiere tomorrow night sooooooooooo this is what ya get

Zari tossed her bag carelessly to the corner of the tiny room. It was essentially a house just miniaturized, only slightly bigger than her quarters on the Waverider. There was a little closet that not even Sara could squeeze into, a toilet that was separated by a thin wooden sliding door. 

She really didn’t like how suffocating it felt, with the simple white walls and glossy linoleum floors. The only exception was the window that opened to the sea, although she was certain the stench of salt would make her throw up.

Charlie launched onto one of the beds like a toddler on Christmas eve, jumping up and down. Zari was pleasantly surprised to see that there were two twin sized beds instead of the one she had been anxiously anticipating. 

“Charlie, calm down you aren't a child,” Zari scolded, shaking her head at shapeshifter. 

“Age doesn't apply to the immortal!” She declared as she continued to jump. There was slightly more than 5 feet above the bed so Charlie had to crouch in order to not bang her head against the ceiling as she jumped back and forth. 

“I stand corrected,” Zari grumbled under her breath. “Charlie, seriously, before you hurt yourself.”

“Fine,” she huffed before doing one final bounce and attempting to land next to Zari. She miscalculated by a large margin and ended up flying straight into Zari, catching her completely off guard.

Zari’s hands went out to break their fall, gasping out in pain as she felt her wrist bend in a way it that it naturally should not. Her heart was racing, distracting her from feeling the entire brunt of the pain as just a few inches away was Charlie's face.  
She had long since stopped thinking of Amaya, especially when she looked into Charlie's eyes she could see burning flecks of green that always seemed to remain regardless of what she (tried) to shift into. A flash of guilt lit up her dark oak eyes, she was frozen and could not move.

The two women were tangled together, Zari was trapped underneath Charlie. They looked at each other for a moment that stretched all of eternity, at least until she started to feel the throbbing pain in her wrist.

“Well you didn't hurt yourself at least,” Zari inhaled sharply as she lifted her injured arm off the ground. 

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry Z,” Charlie seemed to snap back into this reality and sprung to her feet. She offered a hand out to help Zari up, which she gratefully accepted.

“I am sure they have a doctor or nurse on board,” Charlie said as she looked worriedly at the already swelling wrist. 

“No, I will be fine. We really shouldn't interact more than necessary,” Zari hissed through her teeth. Now that the initial shock had faded, pulsating pain circulated at her wrist, dramatically increasing anytime she attempted to move her hand even at the slightest. “Especially since we are two women of color mingling with the high class of America in 1912. We need to keep our heads low and away from attention.”

“You need to see a doctor Z, it could be broken,” Charlie sounded genuinely worried, a welcomed change from her usual careless attitude.

“It probably is but Gideon will fix it, I can suffer for a couple days,” Zari glanced around the room, looking for something to serve as a makeshift brace. She settled on removing the pillow case and attempted to rip it in half. Pain shot straight up her arm and a pathetic whimper of pain followed.

“Ask for help next time, you fool,” Charlie sighed, worry heavy in her tone. She definitely felt bad, as she should. Zari could blame her all day for this inconvenience but it wouldn’t help anyone. 

“Can you please make a sling for the wrist you fucked up?” She asked sarcastically, handing over the silky fabric.

“Of course mate, anything for you,” Charlie winked. She effortlessly tore the case in half, wrapping one half around her sore wrist. Zari winced as she carefully put pressure on it to make sure it was tight enough as she tied a quick knot about halfway down her arm. Z shut her eyes as another burst of pain spiked, trusting Charlie enough to be gentle as she wrapped the pillowcase around her wrist and shoulder.

“There, good? Do we need to find some pain killers or ice? I don’t know what medicine is av-” Charlie rambled, trying (and failing) to hide how flustered and mad at herself she was.

“Charlie, calm down. I’m fine okay? There’s only an hour left of daylight activities and we should at least try to look for the amulet. The Soul of the Sea is said to belong to one Daisy Buckley,” Zari said after taking a deep breath.

“Come on Z, you’re on the bloody Titanic for Beebo’s sake. Have fun, maybe relax a little. This is probably the closest you’ll ever get to vacation with your insane job,” Charlie said lightly with a little small smile as she offered her arm. 

The pain was overwhelming at the moment, all she wanted to do was lock herself in the tiny suit away from Charlie. One, it would be a very stupid idea to leave Charlie unsupervised. And two, they just had to find Miss Buckley and find her room, then Zari could relax.

Against her better judgement, which apparently she was allowing for her heart to make decisions rather than her head. Maybe she should have some fun on this mission? 

Charlie took up her right arm, sliding her left hand through the bend at her elbow so Zari could lean on her if need be. Arm and arm, Charlie and Zari stepped out of their room into the hallway. Dozens of doors outlined the hallway with expensive paintings hanging on the fair ends. 

Zari’s skin burned by the stares of the elite passengers as they made their way to the dining hall. She wasn’t too hungry, even with the delicious smell of sweets in the air as they neared the buffet. It could be the pain, nerves, or the fact that her and Charlie kept getting sour stares from the majority of the passengers. They may look like rich women, but Charlie’s piercings and dark makeup definitely did not help them blend in. 

She only realized now as they stepped into the massive dining room that their hands were intertwined, her knuckles almost white as she had been squeezing to hard. “Sorry,” she murmured quietly, relaxing her grip. Zari half expected for Charlie to take back her hand and was (pleasantly, she might add) surprised when she didn’t move it away. 

“Tough crowd,” Charlie chuckled quietly, trying to mask how uncomfortable she was. This comment of hers was fueled by the hushed whispers exchanged by two very white very rich men dressed in the finest suits money could buy. 

Before they could get too far in the room, the two men approached. Immediately Zari got a bad feeling hanging above them like a storm cloud. 

“Did you two fine ladies lose your men in the crowd?” One of the men spoke with such a smooth and silky voice that Zari wanted to punch him in the face. 

“No, did you?” Charlie rebutted immediately.

The man frowned and moved closer, towering over the two Legends by nearly a foot,”I don’t like your tone. Learn your place.”

“So we have at least one thing in common,” she said, lifting her head up defiantly. 

“You watch your mouth before I teach you some manners,” the man snarled, raising his fist. 

“Sir, would you mind leaving us alone? We are just trying to enjoy our night,” Zari spoke softly and politely, wincing at how, er, non-straight that sounded. Charlie was puffed up like a tiger about to pounce, she hovered her hand over her totem just in case fight broke out. 

“‘Our’? What are you two, dykes?” His friend decided that now was the best time to speak up, his voice gruff and clearly aggressive. Neither Charlie or Zari flinched when the two men stepped forward, now a foot or so away; just close enough to violate her personal space. 

The first words that popped into Zari’s brain was ‘so what’, and apparently she lost control over her filter as she opened her mouth to say just that. 

Except Charlie beat her to it. “And? What are you going to do about it, you bloody homophobic bastards?!” There was something in her tone, the way she took a step forwards and was now staring straight up at the men, as if begging for them to pick a fight. “It wouldn’t look too good to your entitled and snobbish friends if you assaulted two helpless women? Come on now, I dare yah!”

Neither men knew how to respond, watching through narrowed eyes and gaping mouths as Charlie led Zari away. She was just as astounded and wordless as the men.

“Keep a low profile, Sara said. It would be easy, she said,” Zari huffed quietly, breathing a light sigh of relief. 

“What the hell was that Charlie? Are you trying to get us killed? I’m not even-” Zari forced herself to stop talking when she saw Charlie roll her eyes,”What?”

“If there is one thing I have learned after all my life, is that people don’t always like to confront what they don’t like, not when they have a reputation to maintain. Rich twits like those guys exist regardless of what century. If they tried anything, you would use your totem to blast them, causing a scene,” Charlie explained, the slightest quivar in her voice gave away that she was annoyed by something. 

“That’s actually… pretty smart,” Zari said, genuinely surprised at her reasonable response. Charlie wasn’t wrong, she was prepared to blast first and regret it later.

“See. I’m not always reckless and impulsive,” she said quietly, eyes quickly scanning the neckline of each women in search of the large blue amulet. 

“I mean it Charlie, I’m impressed. I guess there is more to you than I thought,” as she spoke, she realized how potentially offensive that sounded. “Shit, you realize that I’m trying to compliment you right?”

“We’re cool Z. Can’t believe I’m the one that has to say this to you, but focus on the mission,” Charlie heavily sighed, shifting her gaze to Zari. Something in her eyes sat wrong in her gut, but she was right; now was not the time to discuss whatever was wrong with the troubled shapeshifter. 

She didn’t respond, hoping Charlie read her silence as agreement. The pain had subsided in her wrist, although any slight movement sent a shock of pain up her arm. She felt Charlie’s hand tightened against hers, as if signaling without speaking to look up. Zari followed her gaze, catching a partial glimpse of a young, attractive woman with long brown hair flowing loose behind her back. She was starting to exit the party, turning at just the right time for Zari to see the massive jewel at the base of her collarbone. 

“Follow and play along,” Charlie hissed under her breath, releasing her hand and untangling it from Zari’s arm. Leading Zari in Daisy’s direction, her strides were uneven and almost wobbly if she were drunk. Still confused at what Charlie was going to do, Zari followed suit despite feeling completely puzzled. She just had to trust that Charlie knew what she was doing. 

They didn’t confront the target as immediately as she would have, but instead followed Daisy throughout the boat. They were following her at a safe distance, but it was only a matter of time before someone noticed that they were tailing her. 

Daisy turned down a hallway, one that looked remarkably similar to the one outside their room. She glanced over her shoulder, a look of concern and worry on her face. Apparently Charlie took that as her cue she dragged Zari over to Daisy as she desperately fiddled with her room key.

“Excsme misss?” Charlie was slurring her words. So she was definitely acting drunk, but why? This was an unconventional plan, even for a Legend. 

“Yes, how can I help you?” Daisy turned, blinking in surprise at the sight of Charlie and Zari. After all, most of the passengers Zari had seen were white.

“We’re losttt, do you-do you know where the 200 hall is?” Why on earth did she have to add that little suggestive eyebrow wiggle? Zari remained coy, not having even the slightest idea on how to act intoxicated. 

She raised an eyebrow, her bright green eyes scanning Charlie and Zari as if determining whether or not to help them. While Daisy was taking her time replying, Zari looked over her shoulder to take note of the room number. 108. 

“Oh, I think if you go to the end of this hallway and make a right. It should be the second or third left,” she said, the door lock clicking as it opened.

“Thank ya love,” Charlie repeated,”Thank youu so very much.”

“It was no problem,” Daisy said, sliding into her room. Zari could hear the door lock immediately.

Charlie was very proud of herself, as clear by the extra pep in her step as they made their way back to their room. Zari was relieved, one part of their mission was complete. They knew where the amulet was, now they just had to get it. If anything, they could break into her room, swap it and mindwipe her so she knew none the wiser that the million dollar stone around her neck was fake.

“Your welcome,” Charlie said smugly the second the door shut behind them. Zari just rolled her eyes, sharply inhaling in pain as she removed the wrap. Her heart sank when her eyes landed on her grossly purple wrist, swollen to the point where it hurt even looking at it. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Zari hissed under her breath, trying to move her fingers. That proved to be a very bad idea as a very loud groan escaped her lips. Biting down on her tongue, she fiddled with the zipper with her good hand. She couldn’t get a good enough angel to pull the zipper, letting out an angry huff because of it. 

“Oi, Z. Ask for help,” she flinched as Charlie batted away her free hand. The smooth sound of the zipper releasing Zari from the suffocating dress followed. “You humans are so damn stubborn.” 

“My least favorite thing about the whole time traveling thing are the freaking outfits. Sure, sometimes we look good, but other times…” She was finally able to breath once the uncomfortable garment crumbled to the ground. 

“I don’t know about the others but you always look good,” Charlie commented casually. Her flirting had been becoming less and less subtle these past couple weeks, especially after the whole alternating time thing. 

Zari didn’t really know how to respond, (she never did) so she just brushed it aside like usual. “That maybe, but give me an oversized flannel and leggings any day.”

“How’s that old wrist feeling?” Charlie asked a couple minutes later after both women had taken off the oversized and stupidly extravagant dresses. 

“It hurts, a lot,” Zari said, restraining her tone so it was a completely monotone and emotionless. She searched through her little bag, taking out a brand new copy of The Scarlet Sun by ‘Rebecca Silver’. What better to distract her from the pain in her wrist and the awkward tension that started to fill the room. 

She laid down into the bed on the right, unsurprised to find the mattress cheap and stiff. Zari wanted to read at least a couple chapters before she had to come up with a plan to get the amulet. 

As she settled down with her back against the wall, the door slammed shut. Zari glanced up, seeing that she was completely alone in the room. She was tempted to chase after Charlie, because Beebo knows what kind of trouble she’d get to without being babysat but she wasn’t really feeling it. Her wrist was throbbing, she was tired and stressed, just another day at being a Legend. She would still rather be a Legend, with the family she had gained and memories formed; than to be alone and fighting for her life in 2042. 

Zari blankly stared at the pages, too distracted by her thoughts to read. Everything was changing and she was at a loss about what to do about it. Things were getting weirder by the day with Constantine on board, Sara and Ava were getting suspiciously serious. Ray was blindly in love with Nora, and Mick was having a good old time writing his books. Charlie was the one person (or creature) that she still could not figure out. 

Charlie proved tonight that she could be a completely capable Legend, but there was something still holding Charlie back. She was smart, capable, and level headed in dangerous situations. Charlie was fearless, fiery, her temperament could be the death of her but it could also be her savior.

Zari almost jumped out of her skin when the door cracked open and Charlie walked through. In her hands was a small bucket filled with ice as well as a wad of bandages. 

“You didn’t have too,” Zari said, setting down the book. She hadn’t made any progress whatsoever. 

“Z, I broke your wrist. Whether or not you believe it, I do feel awful about it,” Charlie replied shortly, setting down the bucket on the small table next to Zari,”

“Well you should,” she shrugged, the familiar feeling of awkwardness creeping back. It shouldn’t have happened, but she shouldn’t try and ignite Charlie’s explosive temperament. “But of course you don’t listen to me, why would you?”

“I’m not going to keep apologizing if you keep brushing it aside. I was reckless and got you hurt,” she said dejectedly, sitting down on the opposite side of the bed with her back turned to Zari. “You, love, are not the boss of me.”

“No one is the boss of you, trust me I know that. You think I don’t know that? Injury is all apart of the job. Demons, magic, broken bones, it’s all part of being a Legend,” she replied, grinding her teeth as she gently set her injured wrist into the ice bucket. “Sara’s died at least three times, Ray and Nate got themselves kidnapped. Sara got possessed by a demon and nearly killed the entire team. If I accept your apology, will we be okay?”

“Sure, yeah, okay. Imagine being a previously immortal magical creature, I’ve seen whole lot of weird,” Charlie chuckled softly to herself as if reminiscing on the good old days. Something dark misted up behind her eyes.

“Have you been stuck in a simulation for countless days? Been a giant blue bear that battled a literal time demon? Fought Nazi’s from another Earth?” Zari questioned, hoping to extract some story from Charlie’s past. Actually saying these words it only now occurred to her how insane these past several months had been. But also, how she wouldn’t trade her place on the Legends for anything. 

“No, but…” Charlie stopped herself, cutting short their conversation to slide into the other bed. This may be the first time ever where Charlie wasn’t in the mood for talking, she usually had the last word in. 

“So what’s the plan?” Zari asked changing the topic since the conversation was getting heated. She liked to have an idea of what to do, even if nearly every single of the Legend’s plans went off the rails. 

“You’re asking me?” Charlie released an exaggerated gasp as she pulled the covers up to her stomach. She was growing increasingly hostile towards Zari, it was extremely obvious by the snippiness of her response.

“Well you’ve done pretty much all the work since we got here, so I figured that maybe you would have any suggestions,” she remarked, picking up the book again this time with the intention of reading.

“The only ‘plan’ I can think of is that we create a diversion, one of us slips in and does the switch. If and when we get caught, we use the flasher,” she said, curling up under the covers. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Charlie was facing her now, and that her hair was done. Thin curls were wildly and hanging over her face and splayed out against the cream pillowcase.

“Sara has a saying ‘Make the plan, execute the plan, except for the plan to go off the rails and throw away the plan’. So at least it’s a start? We can try in the morning. The sooner we get that damn amulet the sooner we leave,” Zari suggested, shifting her position to be more comfortable. The second her head hit the pillow, the realized how tired she was.

“Sounds like a plan,” Charlie remarked quietly. The bed creaked once, Zari figured that she was now facing away from her. Hundreds of years old and she was still a damn child.

Zari didn’t respond, losing the motivation rapidly to attempt at continuing the conversation. She halfheartedly skimmed each page, hardly absorbing any of the words. Her eyelids started growing heavy, the slight motion of the boat rocking her to sleep.


	3. monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari awakes to find Charlie fleeing from the room so naturally she follows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because I know that the zarlie shippers need this right now, stay strong, loves

Zari jumped awake, her heart pounding wildly against her rib cage to the room door shutting. It wasn’t a loud click, but she was a light sleeper especially when she was in a foreign place. 

She could just make out the bed next to her, alarmed to see that it was empty. All exhaustion vanished, Zari was wide awake and worried. Without thinking, she leaped out of bed and snagged an oversized shirt from her bag before stepping out into the hallway. 

She caught a fleeting glance of Charlie before she turned down the corner. Clenching her free hand into a fist to distract from the piercing pain in her wrist, Zari bolted after her. 

To any onlooker, which there were a few, it was a strange sight. A tan woman in a large red shirt was chasing after a black woman in the middle of the night. Zari didn’t want to yell at Charlie because she didn’t to draw even more attention to them or wake anyone.

Finally, the entire world opened up and instantly Zari ws chilly. They had reached the open bow of the ship, the midnight blue sky impossibly high above. There was no where else for Charlie to go, she went to the edge of the boat. There was a fence of about 4 feet to deter anyone from falling (or jumping) to their deaths. 

Zari walked quietly over to her, resting against the white iron fence. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words vanished from her throat. Charlie’s face was twisted in turmoil, her head leaning back as she looked up at the moon. The white light of the crescent moonlight highlighted her distinct jawline, bringing out the light green flecks that were hers alone. 

Finally Zari managed to force out a signal word,”Hey.” It was soft, it sounded distorted against the gentle wind and roaring of the sea below. 

“Hi,” Charlie refused to look at her. Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of crying. 

“Nice night,” Zari was lying through her teeth. It was cold, her heart was pounding because of the pitch black waters that was meters under her feet. It could be the anticipation of the tragic event in just two days time, but Zari really did not want to be outside. It made it feel real, that they were actually here on the fucking Titanic instead of their cramped room.

She still didn't respond. Charlie’s gaze fell from the moon down to the horizon. Zari didn’t move or speak, she had a feeling that Charlie needed silence and company right now. 

Time was at a standstill, Zari had absolutely no idea how long they were out there. It probably wasn’t too long because the moon had hardly moved at all, at least as far as she could tell by the time Charlie willing spoke.

“I had a nightmare,” Charlie said quietly, sort of like a child reluctantly telling the truth. Zari still didn’t speak, she just nodded and turned her attention back to the shapeshifter.

“I’ve seen shit, Z. I’ve lived for centuries, I’ve been hunted and tortured, used for my ability. Some of it is suppressed, but sometimes it comes back to haunt me,” she looked Zari dead in the eye. The wild look of terror and pain stared at Zari, her heart dropping down to her gut. This was the face of someone who had seen some shit and was still dealing with the consequences years later. “I've lost people too.” 

“You’re a Legend now, Charlie. Suffering seems to be apart of the job requirement. You don’t have to do this alone,” Zari said quietly, resting her fragile hand on top of hers. Even the simplest gesture seemed to bring a smile to her broken features. 

“Yeah. You all have your fair share of trauma,” Charlie said her eyes searching Zari’s. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but she held her gaze. “I’m a monster in human clothing. I see how you look at me,” her voice wavered as she forced herself to stay calm,”At her. I know I don't belong here, that this is a temporary arrangement until Johnno gets Dez back and the Legends all figure out something to do with us monsters.”

Zari flinched, heart in her throat. Charlie wasn't exactly wrong, but not exactly right either. “You'll always have a place on this team. You just haven't found your place yet.”

“I don't bring anything but knowledge. I cause more trouble than I'm worth,” there were tears in her eyes now. “I don't have a place, I spent my whole life running it doesn't feel right now that I…”

“Stopped and smelled the roses?” Zari offered, cringing inwardly at how stupid and cliche it sounded. “Got used to people having your back?”

“In a sense. I got comfortable, planting roots and making friends…” she frowned as she searched Zari's face. “It was never my sort of thing.”

“People change. You know I’m here for you, right? I know we fight, well, a lot, but if you need someone to talk too,” as Zari was speaking, Charlie suddenly leaned forward and surprised her with a hug. She buried her head where Zari’s neck and shoulder met, arms curled just under her shoulder blades. “You'll always have a friend in me.”

Zari was quiet for a second, completely thrown off track before she relaxed her one good hand at the base of Charlie’s back. She was fairly curious at the magical creature’s background, about what exactly she had experienced in that interdimensional prison. She knew personally how much talking about things helped, but she knew that it wasn’t her place to pry it out of her. Zari had to trust that, with time and patience, she would feel comfortable enough to open up. She certainly wasn’t going to turn Charlie away the first time she showed any sign of opening up. 

“I am a monster, Z. The things I have done to stay alive…” she muffled against the fabric. 

“That's what makes you human, realizing mistakes. You fought to survive, Charlie. You don't just look the part, you care. You feel,” Zari insisted, finally allowing herself to relax into the embrace. “We all have our demons, just because you are by technicality a magical creature doesn’t invalidate you. It’s not what you are, it’s what you do that defines you. A monster my ass.”

“Why do you all still tolerate me? Be honest, you expected me to blast a hole in this ship by now,” Charlie grumbled half heartedly. 

Zari took her time to answer, wanting to give her a proper and meaningful answer rather than just allowing whatever came first to her brain. “We’ve butted heads and you are such a pain in the ass. Not going to deny that, but that’s just you. Everyone has their faults, and you are very, um, abrasive. But you are fearless, I’m sure it is out of spite and you just don’t think before you act, but it’s still bravery nonetheless. Maybe because you don’t have anything to lose, or maybe because now you actually do.”

Charlie edged away a little, craning her face up at Zari. Her eyes flickered back and forth from Zari’s eyes to her lips. Before she had a chance to process her intention, she closed the gap between them. The kiss was desperate and sloppy, probably because it was derived out of emotional vulnerability. 

She didn’t resist at first, Zari knew deep down that she had wanted this for some time now. But it just didn’t feel right, at least this wasn’t the best time. Charlie wasn’t in the best state of mind so Zari forced herself to pull away before things escalated. 

“Oh, sorry, I just-er-thought that…” she stuttered, immediately stepped away as she ran a hand through her messy hair. 

“We can talk about it when you aren’t an emotional wreck and-” Zari stifled a yawn,”tired.”

“Really?” Charlie perked up, suddenly hopeful despite that she still looked embarrassed. So this wasn’t just an impulse thing, an act out of desperation for attention? She was legitimately interested in Zari? She pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she took Charlie by the hand and lead her back to their room. 

The Legends walked very quickly through the ship, making their way back to the room. Zari was drowning in conflicting emotions, she was fighting herself ridiculously hard. There was always going to be a part of her that associated Charlie with Amaya, she was sure that Charlie would always have doubts if Z liked her for her appearance rather than her personality.  
As the thought rolled around in her head, Zari became even more certain that there was no truth in that idea, not anymore. She shook her head aggressively, aware that she needed to get serious and get her head out of the clouds. She cast a glance over her shoulder to see Charlie blindly following, her eyes staring at Zari’s heels. Her eyes were misty, more than likely out of heightened emotion encouraged by Zari’s initial rejection and exhaustion.

Zari locked the door behind them, watching as Charlie went straight to bed and curled up in the mess of sheets. She wasn’t tired enough to go straight to sleep, but she tried. Feeling warm and flush still from the kiss, she kicked aside the blankets and lay flat; staring at the ceiling. 

What did this mean now? Of course she wanted to pursue this (whatever this was) with Charlie, or at least attempt too. Even after seeing how Ava and Sara work so hard to make their relationship work, she wasn’t too adamant the idea of dating. But Charlie was, well, Charlie. Explosive, erratic, impatient, not to mention annoying, reckless, unpredictable. There was so much she didn’t know, so much she wanted too. But that would hopefully come with time and trust. 

Just as Zari found herself dozing off, pathetic whimpering forced her eyes open. She glanced around the room, seeing that Charlie was still asleep but fidgeting. Zari watched for a couple of moments, paralyzed with indecisiveness. Well, like she said to Charlie, they would discuss this later. They would have to discuss Zari’s own actions later as well. 

Sucking in the salty sea air, Zari crawled out of her bed. She didn’t go far because seconds later she to weasel her way into Charlie’s. Luckily, she was already laying on her side so it was easier for Zari to lay down with the limited space.   
Charlie’s sleeping body contorted as she let out another cry of pain, only relaxing when Zari pulled her close to her body. She winced, briefly forgetting about her wrist but as long as they stayed still, it should be fine. Her breathing stabilized as it appeared that Charlie was sleeping peacefully, at least for now. Zari wondered how many nights she was awakened by these nightmares and what those nightmares entailed. 

She had her fair share of sleepless nights, of waking up from horribly realistic dreams where her family was still alive. Those were far worse than the brutal and violent nightmares where the Legends were killed or they what could have happened if they lost against Mallus. Sometimes, although these were far less frequent now that Charlie now took the form of her former friend, Zari dreamt that Amaya choose her rather than Nate. The false hope still hurt to this day, especially when she was awoken at weird hours of the day to Charlie and her rock music. 

This would be the first night since Zari could remember where she wasn’t plagued with nightmares or any dreams at all. No tossing and turning, no hot or cold flashes. This would be the first night of many where she slept through the night without disturbance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just don't like it okay,steelhacker just isn't my thing and I have a lot of negative feelings regarding this


	4. a sight to behold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari and Charlie make a move and get the amulet, but not before a little diversion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never finished the Titanic movie, and the only research i did was to see when donuts were invented because apparently that's where I am at effort wise  
> Was this rushed and not remotely planned? yes, but frankly those are my feelings about *********** so WHO CARES  
> anyways now time to actually work on a paper that's for a grade that I literally have no idea what to write about so fml

The room was so bright that Zari had to blink her eyes several times to adjust to the harsh light trickling in. She was disoriented, momentarily confused on where she was and what had happened the night before. Feeling weight pressed up against her body, glanced down, seeing two shapes so close they could be mistaken as one. Her hands were tucked under her chin, like an adorable little kitten sleeping after a hard day of playing. 

Horror and disbelieve spread throughout her body for a split second as she thought for just a moment that she had had sex with Charlie. The bone chilling terror faded instantly when her brain finally registered that both women were clothed.

A soft smile grew on her lips as Zari lightly placed her sensitive hand around Charlie, holding her close. If it was up to her, they would stay there all day. It’s not like the vessel they were on was going to be obliterated and hundreds of people were going to die within the next 24 hours. 

Turns out, the 10 minutes she wasted trying to figure out a way to wake up Charlie was for nothing. 

“I never took you for a cuddler,” a whisper tickled her neck. “You know this boat’s gonna sink right? As much as I’d love to stay like this forever, we have an amulet to steal,” Charlie murmured. Neither woman made any effort to move for another couple of minutes. 

The anxiety and pressure finally hit, providing an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was enough for Zari to let out a heavy sigh,”You’re right. We should get ready.”

Charlie agreed, reluctantly pulling herself away from Zari. She sat up and stretched, groaning as she was reminded once more about her wrist.   
“Besides, we can always pick this back up when we get back,” she could hear the smirk in Charlie’s voice.

Zari turned around quickly, chucking a pillow playfully at her,”Why are you like this?” She started shifting through the assortment of clothes, deciding on the most comfortable attire this time period would allow- a loose pearl white shirt and a simple burgundy skirt. 

“Enduring? Hot? Don’t pretend you didn’t like me,” Charlie teased. Judging by the creaking of the floorboards she had decided to get out of bed. “After all, you wouldn’t cuddle up with someone you hated. Or maybe we really do have a love/hate relationship?”

“Why do I even bother?” Zari huffed, pulling the shirt over her head. She slid the skirt over the gym shorts she was wearing, ready and apprehensive about their half assed plan. “And also, this, this is not any form of relationship.”

“Just admit it, you find my quirks charming,” she insisted.

“I don’t think you understand the definition of charming, Charlie,” Zari grumbled, sitting down on her bed to slip on boots. Lucky for her, the skirt would cover up the shoes despite them not being acceptable for women during this time.

“Well there’s got to be something you like about me if I got you in bed,” Charlie hummed, very proud of herself for some reason. 

Zari turned around sharply to correct her,”First off, nothing happened and if you keep it up nothing will. Secondly, you were crying out in your sleep and needed comfort. Next time I’ll just let you suffer through whatever hellscape you were dreaming of.” 

Apparently Charlie had decided to go above and beyond as there she was, standing a couple feet away in the most stunning dress she had ever seen Charlie wear. It was a black dress with dazzling gems that conformed to her body perfectly; her shoulders, collarbone and chest highlighted by a low cut.

She must have been staring because Charlie cleared her throat and Zari’s eyes flashed up to see Charlie looking at her with a raised eyebrow and the most obnoxious grin that made Zari want to leave her on the ship to drown. 

“Oh shut up,” Zari mumbled under her breath. She tucked the flasher between the band of the skirt, fiddling with the shirt to hide it from view. “Here, you take the fake one. If we can get her alone, I can blast her with my totem and knock her down. Then you can do your thing and swap them.” She tossed the cheap amulet that Gideon had materialized to Charlie.

“That leaves a lot of room for shit to go wrong,” she shoved the necklace into a hidden fold of the dress.

“That’s just the Legends way,” Zari shrugged. It wasn’t a lie, she couldn’t remember the last time any of their plans went correctly. Nervousness forced her heart to beat rapidly, her hands started getting sweaty. Of course she wanted to do well for Sara, but this kind of half assed plan is the sort of plan that got them in major trouble.

“Oi, you don’t have to tell me twice,” Charlie agreed wholeheartedly, picking up the handmade sling from its spot on the floor. “Need this?”

She wanted to say no, because she didn’t trust herself not to make an utter idiot of herself. But Zari knew she needed it, if anything to keep her arm still and the pain at a minimum. “Yeah,” she grumbled begrudgingly

Without another word, Charlie gently wrapped the cloth around her wrist. Zari felt heat rise to her cheeks as she felt Charlie tenderly brush her fingers across her back to move aside strands of hair that would get tangled with the sling. Charlie took her sweet time (at least that’s how it felt to Zari) to straighten out the fabric before tying a tight knot just under her shoulder blade. 

She could feel Charlie’s warmth as she lingered behind her for just a second before breathing a quiet,”It’s all set.”

“Great,” Zari bolted out of the door the second Charlie stepped back so that she couldn’t see her flushed and reddened face.

“Oi slow down speedy!” Charlie called, alarmed at how quickly she had darted away. “We don’t even know where she is!”

“It’s almost lunch time, so I assume the buffet,” Zari said, taking multiple deep breaths to calm herself. It wasn’t like her to be so… emotional. She didn’t like it, it was such a distraction unlike anything she had ever dealt with before. 

“You just want food,” Charlie caught up with her. The little gleam in her eye that she always got when she was teasing Z presented itself. 

“So what? This boat is fucking huge- is it so bad I want to grab a donut or something before we have to search it for who knows how long?” Zari retorted as her stomach rumbled loudly in agreement. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten, probably a little while before they left the Waverider.

“Fair enough,” Charlie shrugged, glaring daggers at a man who shoved past her because she refused to move out of his way.

“Don’t you magical creatures need food? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat. Is alcohol a main part of every shapeshifter’s diet?” Zari inquired, genuinely curious. 

“I do eat human food, silly, and the alcohol is just to take a bit of the edge away from the depressive memory of my past,” Charlie said matter-of-factly, as if she was supposed to know. Her response was vague enough that Zari wanted to press for more details but held her tongue until the urge passed.

Zari rolled her eyes,”Damn Charlie, no need to get sarcastic.” They rounded the corner that lead to the buffet room where she caught wind of the amalgamation of whatever the cooks were making for lunch. 

“You have the attention span of a cat,” Charlie said, her voice light with amusement. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as Zari huffed and glared at her through narrowed eyes.

“Ex-fucking-cuse you? You really have the balls to bring that up now, of all time and places? Just when I was beginning to like you,” Zari playfully punched her shoulder.

“Ha! You admit it, you like me,” Charlie chirped, throwing her arm around Zari’s shoulder like they were two bros.

“The only thing that is stopping me from blasting you off this ship is facing Sara’s rage,” Zari seethed through her teeth as she batted Charlie away.

“I smell bullshit, but go off I guess,” she winked, following Zari to the quickly moving line at the entrance of the dining room. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for Daisy while you get something to eat.” For once, she wasn’t being patronizing but actually genuine.

“I just want some pastries not a whole damn meal,” Zari slipped in front of some distracted passengers and plucked a couple of donuts off a tray.

“I’ll follow your lead,” she added before taking a big bite of the glazed donut. 

Charlie and Zari spent the better part of an hour casually walking through the dining hall, eventually expanding their search to the open hall that ran horizontally down the ship. To their right was the open ocean, the shimmering blue sea stretching as far as the eye could see. 

“Wow, look at this view! Spectacular,” Zari breathed, her attention snagged by the way the sun caught the edge of the water. This was as close to peaceful that she would predictably ever feel, although she suspected it was a sort of ‘in the moment’ sort of things, but nonetheless. She would have loved to stand there, absorbing the steady sound of waves crashing below combined with the admittedly nauseating stench of salt until Charlie spoke, breaking her dream like state.

“Yeah, it sure is,” Charlie said softly. She could see out of her peripheral vision that she wasn’t looking at the ocean. 

Zari allowed herself to meet Charlie’s gaze. Never before had she seen such affection, such vulnerability, in her gentle eyes. It reminded her of how Sara and Ava looked at each other, that mutual feeling of captivation and desire. Is this what her own expression said? 

It was as if fate decided that now was not their moment, because now of all intimate moments, Daisy Buckley paraded by. She was flanked by three brawny men, likely a security team, to protect her and the expensive necklace. 

“Stop dawdling and start moving,” Zari whispered and joined the flow of the passengers walking about. Charlie instinctively grabbed hold of her wrist, mouth open as if she was about to say something but no words came out. 

She let go, keeping pace at Zari’s side as they dodged between people to keep up with Daisy and her team.  
“Okay, what now? We can’t just take them on, two on four,” Zari grunted, sidestepping just out of time to avoid tripping over a kid. 

“Have a little faith, Z. You got wind and I have wit,” Charlie winked again and she had to fight the reflex to punch her in the arm. 

“What-what the hell does that mean?” Zari gapped, not at all surprised that the ‘plan’ they had was already falling apart. “Your ‘wit’ is just as reliable as throwing a brick at a giant squid.”

Charlie didn’t respond as she was too focused on keeping their target in sight. They rounded an almost empty hallway where Zari and Charlie followed suit. About halfway down the hallway, the men had stopped and were casting a suspicious glance in their direction. 

Two of the guards started to approach them so Zari had to think fast. Pulling a move that only Mick would be proud of, Zari grabbed Charlie by the arm and pressed her into the wall.

The logical side of her brain glitched and went blank, leaving Zari with one option and one option only. She kissed Charlie, this time without any inhibition. There was no barrier or heightened emotions that could be caused by a vulnerable state, just two fully aware adults that knew what they wanted. She was prepared to be met with surprise, but instead was greeted with equal amount raw want. Footsteps sounded behind her as the men continued to walk by them without saying anything.

She ignored the grunt of disapproval and the burning of glares that warned her this may not be the best time; but she choose to ignore it, cupping Charlie’s face in her hands. Charlie’s hands traveled down from her back where they rested at her hips. This kiss definitely not for show, it was for them. Her heart race, leaping up her throat when Charlie’s mouth traveled from her lips to her cheek, and then to her neck. 

Zari’s breathing was shaky and uneven as she fought the urge to buckle and give in to her more animalistic desires. She glanced to the side, noticing that their amulet was walking down the other end of the corridor. If they didn’t move now, they could potentially lose them, who knows how long it would take until they find her again?

“I guess we’ll pick this up later?” Charlie murmured in her ear, sending chills down her spine with her regretful tone. 

“Later,” Zari confirmed, darting down the hallway with Charlie close at her heels after Daisy and the Soul of the Sea.   
To their benefit, they had walked down a completely empty hallway lined with doors. This was their only shot. 

“I’ll handle the guards, you get the necklace,” Zari said, wiggling her injured arm free. She was going to need both hands to preoccupy the guards, no matter how much it hurt. 

“That’s not much of a plan,” Charlie declared loudly with a happy grin,”I like it!”

“Just like a Legend,” Zari added with a smirk before tapping her totem, sending a powerful gust of wind at the four unsuspecting people. She managed to separate the guards from Daisy, sending the woman a good couple feet away. All she had to do was keep the men pinned to the wall as Charlie ran behind her, charging at Daisy. Her task was easy enough, as long as she stayed concentrated on her task of keeping the guards at bay.

She panicked, scrambling against the wall in a botched attempt at putting distance between her and the shifter. Zari watched in amusement as Charlie plucked the amulet off the terrified woman’s neck, plopping the fake amulet in her lap.   
Zari grabbed the flasher from her waist, temporarily blinding the three men with a bright white light. She tossed the device to Charlie, who used it on the bewildered Daisy.

All four people blinked in confused and looked around in confusion, but by the time they even started to question what was going on, Charlie and Zari were gone. 

“I can’t believe that worked,” Zari gasped, finding herself short of breath and word. They fled up the nearest flight of stairs, making their way up another level of the ship. Just three more to go, and then they would be on the very top deck where they had left the jumpship. Hopefully no one would stumble upon it, despite that it was hidden amongst crates and invisible. 

“I can’t either,” Charlie confessed as they reached the next platform. Zari completely ignored the group of grown ups that watched them scornfully, like they were two children carelessly running around on the ship. 

“Don’t tempt me, I can still leave you here to drown,” Zari teased. She slowled her pace from an adrenaline fueled dash for safety to a brisk jog. She definitely was not built for running.

“Aw, but I would never be able to show you a proper time then, eh?” Charlie bumped into Zari affectionately, an annoyingly pleased smile plastered on her face. 

“Shut up,” she grumbled, jumping over the last two top steps to the final floor. The very second she realized that no one else was in sight, she shouted,“Gideon! Open the door now please!”

Immediately, companied by the familiar whur of the mechanics, the hatch opened up. Both women leaped in, Zari sliding into the seat. She mashed several buttons until the ship hummed and lurched into the air, up towards the sky where it disappeared in a flash through the timestream.

“Can you call Sara for me please, G?” Zari asked, setting coordinates for the Waverider. It would be a good couple of minutes before they could locate and board, she excited at her first successful solo mission (plus Charlie, of course) and wanted to let Captain Lance know.

“Z? Is everything okay? Do you need backup?” Sara asked without giving her anytime to speak.

“No, actually,” Zari glanced over her shoulder to see Charlie leaning over the seat, looking down at her with pride and affection in her eyes, dangling the amulet over Zari’s shoulder. “We got it.” 

Sara didn’t even try to hide her surprise,”Really? That’s great!” She hesitated for a moment before adding a suggestive,”Is there anything else you feel the need to disclose to me?” 

Zari felt the heat flood to her cheeks as her head swerved to look at the screen. Sara had her hand tucked under her chin with an all knowing look about her face as her ice blue eyes went from Zari to Charlie.

“You’re the Captain, figure it on your own, yeah?” Charlie said, hanging up the connection before either Zari or Charlie had a chance to respond.

“Sara doesn’t take sass very well, Charlie. She can still ground you from future missions or hand you over to Ava. Trust me, she can be even meaner than she looks,” Zari warned Charlie, however doubtful that Sara would actually punish them. After all, they got the damn amulet that John needed to badly.

She just may have gotten a little more out of this mission than she ever intended too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay strong zarlie shippers, we will get through this, we will live on through fanfiction <3 <3


End file.
